Microsoft Surface Hub launches in September, starting at $6,999

Microsoft has released pricing and availability information for its enterprise focused Surface Hub, announced back in January of this year. The hardware is pitched as an all-in-one solution for collaboration in meetings, consisting of a large display, active stylus, and a whole host of sensors and connectivity options.

Running on Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10 operating system, the Surface Hub is essentially a huge, wall-mounted all-in-one PC. Users will interact with the large touch panel via OneNote whiteboard, making use of low-latency, active stylus tech that's designed to make it feel like you're putting pen to paper. Certain apps like Skype for Business are built in, but it will also run universal Windows apps.

It looks to be an attractive and versatile piece of business hardware, with some useful flairs thrown in. For example, it'll jump right into the whiteboard app when the pen is picked up, and Skype meetings can be initiated with just a single tap. The hardware is pretty full-featured, with stereo speakers up front, a mic, a pair of wide-angle 1080p cameras, along with infrared and ambient light sensors.

There are two sizes of the Surface Hub on offer– a 55-inch 1,920 x 1,080 variant, and a 84-inch, 3,840 x 2,140 option. The smaller panel runs on a 4th generation Intel Core i5 chip with integrated HD 4600 graphics, while its big brother runs on a Core i7 with a Nvidia Quadro K2200 GPU.

So the big news today? We actually known when these monsters will start making their way into meeting rooms. Microsoft will start taking Surface Hub orders on July 1, with units expected to ship to 24 markets (including the US) in September. There's a big difference in pricing between the two models, with the 55-inch Surface Hub coming in at US$6,999, and the 84-inch version hitting a much higher $19,999 price point.